Coach Dru Joyce

When service levels slip, most organizations respond the same way: add more inventory. A little extra safety stock here, a buffer there, and to many businesses, that feels like the safest path forward. But it rarely works. Instead of solving the problem, businesses end up with bloated inventory in one location and stockouts in another. Working capital climbs, service is still inconsistent, and planners are stuck reacting rather than improving outcomes. It’s like trying to fix traffic by adding more cars to the road, and congestion just gets worse. This is the inventory trap: chasing service by piling up stock instead of managing it strategically.   What is Multi-Echelon Inventory Optimization? Multi-Echelon inventory optimization (MEIO) helps you put the right inventory in the right places across your network to hit service goals with less total stock. Instead of optimizing each site in isolation, MEIO looks at your entire network of plants, distribution centers, suppliers, and customers as one connected system.   The three most common inventory issues businesses face At its core, MEIO answers three questions every supply chain leader is asking: Where should we hold inventory? Not every location needs the same level of protection. MEIO determines the most…

Supply Chain Now is the voice of the supply chain industry, and our hosts are experts in the field. Podcast listeners tune in to hear the words of wisdom from host Marty Parker, whose practical advice is taken everywhere from the classroom to the C-suite. An Educated Voice in Supply Chain Parker certainly has the supply chain chops to back up his advice. He has 30 years of experience in the supply chain C-suite (COO, CMO, CSO), is the founder and CEO of Adæpt Advising, and is an award-winning senior lecturer in supply chain and operations management at the University of Georgia. He also founded and leads UGA’s Supply Chain Advisory Board, is the academic director of the university’s Leaders Academy, and serves on multiple advisory boards, including the Trucking Profitability Strategies Conference, Zion Solutions Group, and Carlton Creative Co. Mentoring on Campus and in the C-suite Parker’s mentoring carries supply chain stakeholders from their student days to the C-suite. At UGA, he helps his students network and land internships and post-graduation jobs. Through Adæpt Advising, he works with C-suite executives to improve their skills, become better leaders, and develop strategic plans with detailed action steps and financial targets. He…